Connective tissue and muscle staining

Define connective tissue and its function

It is a fibrous material

Functions: support and protection, a media for exchange of nutrients, energy storage, insulation, and tissue repair

Three main components of CT

cells, fibers and extracellular matrix or ground substance

Most abundant fiber found in CT

Collagen

Define collagens make up and function

-Tough, thick, fibrous proteins that do not branch

-Provides great tensile strength giving the body form, firmness and resistance to outside forces

Staining characteristics

• They are cationic (basic or positively charged)

• Stain strongly with acid dyes (anionic or negatively charged)

• Eosinophilic

• Strongly birefringent under polarized light

• Demonstrated most frequently with the Masson or Gomori Trichrome staining techniques

Diagnostic application of staining for CT

Plays a role in diagnosing collagenous CT diseases (cirrhosis and kidney-glom)

Plays a role in diagnosing soft tissue - tumors, cardiovascular

Most importantly- distinguishes muscle from CT

Mass Trichrome